Thought Corridor

Canon by Paige Lewis This was on of those books where I did not know what to expect. Its a wild ride, our focus is on Yara and Adreana as they go after the bad guys. The formatting of the books is interesting as it takes the story and separates it giving us different perspectives. It was a fairly quick read and overall very enjoyable. It has moments of absolute absurdity and moments that leave us questioning things. The overall message of the book can feel a little too hammered home at times but its an interesting one.  Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC.  

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles   How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles  I really enjoyed this book. In particular I loved the dialogue in this book. I have read a few KJ Charles's books and I really enjoyed this one I really liked the interplay between Nico and Titus and there is a great plot amongst all that romance. Charles writes settings incredibly well and this book is humorous with some angst and great characters. The book is lovely and cosy while still being nicely paced. I think it would be a great introduction to KJ Charles's works and I highly recommend this queer story.  Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC. 

 Hello you! More books to review today and I am beginning with an audiobook.  The Trial of Leopold & Loeb: Dickie & Babe   by Ben Devlin   This was not a story I was remotely familiar with and this audiobook piqued my interest as I am a fan of true crime podcasts. This was really good, such a dramatic story told really well. This is a multi voice cast acted audiobook and everyone feels engaging but occasionally it can feel a little too over the top but overall its an interesting true crime told really well and we feel like we are in the jury box listening to the evidence. .  Thank you to the cast, the writers, publisher and as always to NetGalley for the ARC. 

The last book I have to review at the moment is Princeweaver by Elian J Morgan.  Being proudly Welsh this book felt like a must read for me, I enjoyed the way the author wove Welsh folktales through their novel and added historical elements too. I loved the chemistry between Meilyr and Osian and as this is the first in a trilogy I look forward to seeing where this world will go. The magic elements are really good and interwoven really well. The writing style is beautiful and the world building is wonderfully rich and descriptive. After that ending I know I have to read the next one. Thanks to the author, the publishers and to Netgalley as always for this ARC. 

 I really liked the world building in this story and the characters too. The dialogue did feel a bit awkward at times and I found myself being dragged out of the fantastical setting when 'modern' stuff was mentioned maybe a bit too much. Maybe I'll have to try earlier books in this universe as there was something about this that didn't quite work for me but that's entirely a personal preference. That said, the book is charming and cosy with an interesting collection of characters. The slow burn of the romance was good and I liked the fae and magical elements. If you like the found family trope then I think you'll enjoy this one. It's always good too to see some Non-binary representation. Thank you to the author, to the publishers, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC.  

I must start this review by saying that I was not aware this was a sequel to The Last Blade Priest until after I had requested it, That said I really enjoyed this book and I did  read The Last Blade Priest before reading this (and highly recommend others do the same). This book takes us back to the world that Wiles created in their previous book and reintroduces us to characters we met there while introducing us to some new ones too. The crisis that is engulfing this world is getting worse and the rivalries between the League and Mirolene empire grow more fierce. Enter our protagonist. Princess  Syzenne who is hiding a secret power that could change things, but of course, she's not the only one. I really enjoyed the vivid world building in this novel, its descriptive and evocative. Thank you to the publishers, the author, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC. 

I took one look at the description of E.M.Caro's Rears and Vices and knew I had to read it. The description begins thus ' Black Sails and Hamilton meet in this queer, poly, spicy Historical Romance set during the 19th century Age of Revolution, when pirates briefly reclaimed the Gulf and Caribbean seas and provided crucial support toward anti-colonial nation-states'. This ticked so many boxes for me.  Huge fan of pirate stories and loved the series Black Sails. (I'd also add that if you liked Our Flag Means Death then there's a great chance you'll like this book too) I really enjoyed this book but sometimes the multiple POV's did throw me off at times but I liked the characters and the romance. It is a very detailed and descriptive book with a great plot. A solid 4 stars.   Thank you to the publishers, E.M. Caro, and NetGalley for providing the ARC. .

The next book to review is Homebound by Portia Elan This has such an interesting premise, I really like books that contain different timelines and that move between them and this book does just that. Starting off in the 1980's the story follows three storylines that all weave together. The downside of some books that follow this structure is that at times it can feel tricky to follow the threads through the book The characters are interesting and the settings are well described. It is emotional at times dealing with complex themes but there is such heart to the writing. It is a very promising debut and an interesting novel to add to the scifi genre. Huge thanks to the author, the publishers, and to Netgalley as always for the opportunity to read this ARC. 

Fake Night  by Eyal Rosen. This describes itself as an addictive dark comedy so I knew I had to choose it. This book is a lot of fun. It is quirky and fast paced and we get caught up with the characters and their switching identities. Because of its manic energy it is hard to really review this book. Feels like one of those ones where you just have to give it a go and give into the madness for a bit. Overall its a fun, fast paced book that can be read quickly and will leave you feeling like you've spent the evening with these people and had a front row seat to their hijinks. Thank you to the author, the publishers and as always to Netgalley for his ARC. 

The next book review for today is The Lighthouse at the End of the World Cities of the Drift  by Philip A. Suggars I chose this book as I enjoy books that look at an alternate world to our own. Oyster our central character is very likeable and it's enjoyable to get to see him figure out his place in the gang. The world building is great as we alternate between a different London to the one we first meet Oyster in and it is all descriptive and vivid. The action is well paced and the book moves along nicely. It is beautifully descriptive and very expansive feeling as a universe. There does feel like there could be more to come in this universe and I look forward to it. It's great for fans (like myself) of V.A. Schwab. Thanks to the author, the publishers, and as always to Netgalley for this ARC. 

 The next book to review is Murder Like Clockwork by Nicola Whyte.  In this novel a cleaner finds a dead body, fairly standard murder mystery trope one might say however this body disappears by the time the police arrive. This novel reintroduces characters from Whyte's earlier mystery novel but I don't think it's essential to be familiar with that novels before reading this one. This is a cosy crime novel that is entertaining to read and the central characters are likeable and a little eccentric (as most of the best ones are). It's ideal for those who like cosy murder mysteries and I enjoyed it. Many thanks to the author, the publishers, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC. 

I have just finished Fortune Favours the Grave. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and this fits that very well. Along with a building friends to lovers plot too. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited to read the next one. It’s just as good fun as the first. Highly recommend this. As a fan of Terry Pratchett this feels somewhat similar in style. The world building is excellent and it’s a very fun and enjoyable read. Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley as always for this ARC. 

 Lastly for now is Founding Fathers by Meg Ellison  Must admit I didn't know much about this book before going in to if. It is a satire that plays around, it asks what if tech billionaires had access to cloning the founding fathers and just what would Franklin think of a smartphone. Much of the history of the founding fathers is lost on me as Brit but even though I liked it well enough. It is a fun but brief book, a novella that has an interesting premise but perhaps feels like it needs to be fleshed out more. The idea behind it is sound enough and it humorously looks at politics and updated time settings (with cloning of course). Its an enjoyable read but not quite a 5 star one for me. Thanks tot eh author, the publisher, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC.   

Next up is Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer  I really enjoyed this book, the writing is witty and the book is well paced. There is the classic villain with a heart of gold (somewhere deep in that lair of his) and Maximillian as his love interest. I felt like they had great chemistry and I really wanted them to get together.  The world building was good but maybe was a bit too superficial but still I enjoyed the characters so much that I'm willing to overlook it. This book fits well into the conventions of Romantasy, nothing groundbreaking as the romance hits the tropes and is unsurprising but that is not the point. It is an enjoyable read and I loved the characters.  Thanks to the author, the publisher, and as always to Netgalley for this ARC. 

 The next book is Common Decency by the brilliant Tom Allen, his debut novel. A cosy read with lots of Tom Allen's signature charm and wit. This is a peak behind the lace curtains and closed doors of suburbia and a look at what we find there. The characters who populate  Oak Drive feel very real, we've all heard of neighbors like these. There is more going on beneath the surface and this book explores those dramas. It is humorously written and nicely paced. Thanks to the author, the publishers and Netgalley as always for this ARC. 

 Next up is Upward Bound by Woody Brown.  Woody was the first non speaking autistic graduate of the UCLA and this book feels like a peak inside that world. Like many other reviewers here I loved this book. It is an engaging read from the start and the characters feels so real. As someone who is neurodivergent I could see myself in this book. It is uplifting, there is humour and there is heart and frustration too.   Charming and heartfelt, Upward Bound is a book that it will stay with you for a long time. Thanks to the author, the publishers, and Netgalley as always for this ARC,  

The next book is  The Library of Traumatic Memory  by   Neil Jordan. This was a difficult one for me as although it's helped by its short chapters it did feel a little complicated at times and it was tricky to keep track of the events unfolding. The language used is lovely but with the lack of punctuation and the lack of clear delineation of characters and the narrative voice with its two narrators with no clear way of saying which narrator is speaking it is hard to follow the threads through though the book. I almost did not finish this but persevered, unfortunately for me personally while the imagery and the language is at times beautifully and poetically written it was too complex for me to follow fully. If you're looking for an easy read then this is not it but if you take the time with it then I'm sure there are those who would love this book.  Thank you to the author, the publishers, and as always to Netgalley for this ARC. 

  Hello you! I'm back again with the first of several reviews, reading through my sprawling handwritten notes to make sense of them in order to write them up for this little blog of mine. Starting with T rip to the Moon:  Understanding the True Power Of Story by John Yorke. While this book does feel academical at times it is an enjoyable read and accessible. It  contains many useful passages and tips for aspiring writers of screenplays (and writers in general). It is an easy to understand look at how we are shaped by stories and how we ourselves can shape them. The author looks at various films and screenplays and examines the way they tell a narrative story. I was not familiar with Yorke's previous work and pick this up on a bit of a whim. It is very useful to anyone interested in the genre and is a book that I can see myself returning to. Thank you to the publishers, the author, and Netgalley as always for this ARC.